Gordon Manley Lecture 2026

Lies, damned lies and geopolitics: How disinformation is changing the map of world politics

From Putin’s propaganda machine to Donald Trump’s extraordinary claims about Greenland, Canada and Ukraine, disinformation has become a weapon in the struggle for global power.

But what happens when disinformation does more than distort the truth? When it fuels territorial ambitions, threatens national sovereignty and turns longstanding allies into geopolitical adversaries? And how do we defend ourselves when the hearts and minds of ordinary citizens become the new geopolitical battleground?

Dr Al Pinkerton is the Liberal Democrat MP for Surrey Heath and the party’s Spokesperson for Europe, having previously served as Northern Ireland Spokesperson (2024–25). A Visiting Professor and former Reader in Geopolitics at Royal Holloway, Al draws on his academic research and experiences in Westminster to explore how disinformation is reshaping international politics—and what governments, institutions and citizens can do to build resilience against it.

Admission is free but booking is essential.